Explosively actuated apparatus for perforating submerged or other articles



Aug. 8, 1944. P. cox 2,355,513

EXPLOSIVELY ACTUATED APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING I SUBMERGED OR OTHER ARTICLES Filed June 20, 1942 Alli Patented Aug. 8, 1944 EXPLOSIVELY ACTUA'EED APPARATUS FOR PERFORATING SUBWRGED QR WEBER ARTICLES Percy 60x, Keston Park, England; Nellie Louise Cox administratrix of said Percy Cox, deceased Application June 26,1942, Serial No. 447,882 In Great Britain duly 3, 19d].

7 Claims.

This invention relates to bolt-like projectiles (hereinafter referred to as connectors) adapted to be driven into or through a resistant body or steel shell by explosively actuated apparatus and is particularly concerned with connectors or the like for use under water, such as described in general in United States Patents No. 1,365,869 and No. 2,166,041, although the invention may be usefully employed in any situation where a rapid and emergency operation is required.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a connector (for use in apparatus such as described in the above United States patents) adapted for establishing supply or other communication through the skin or shell (hereinafter referred to as shell") to sunken submarines or other submerged vessels for supplying gas and/or liquid to the interior thereof for a number of purposes connected with the salvage of submarines or sunken vessels and/or aiding in the rescue of the crew thereof. For example, the connectors may be employed for supplying compressed air to provide buoyancy in salvaging operations'or for circulating fresh air and removing foul air from submarines where a crew has been trapped. The connectors may also be employed for furnishing CO2, steam or other fire fighting medium for extinguishing bunker fires and cargo fires caused by spontaneous combustion and other causes. The invention may also be employed for supplying liquids such as liquid foods or water, or for pumping water into a vessel's compartments for ballast or trimming purposes,

or for establishing electric signal communication for any purpose that may arise, or again for 'passing electric current for power or lighting purposes.

The connectors according to the invention may also be used with advantage to enable the air pressure to be regulated within a sunken vessel so as-to prevent the blowing of sealing Joints as the vessel becomes buoyant and rises and the water pressure falls accordingly.

The invention consists in a bolt-like projectile connector of the kind indicated intended to be driven into a resistant shell so that the forward part of the connector passesvthrough the shell while the rearward part remains on the near side of said shell, comprising a cavitied body the cavity of which is adapted to afford a path of communication between one side of the penetrated resistant shell and the other'as required, an armour piercing nose at the forward end of said body, removable sealing means for preventing throughway communication between one side and ('Cl. lid-16.4)

the other of said shell through the cavltied body until such time as throughway communication is required and means at the rearend of said body for attaching a coupling for enabling matter to be'passed through the cavity of said body.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure l is a section of one form of connector according to the invention showing it in the position occupied after it has been driven through a shell.

Figures 2 and 3 are sections of modifications.

Figure 4 is a section of a modification arranged for passing electric current through the con nector.

Figure 5 is a section of another modification whereby a small electric lamp may be introduced through the bore of the connector.

Fig. 6 is a rear end elevation of the connector seen in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 7 is a rear end elevation of the connector seen in Fig. 2 with the sealing plug in position.

In the various figures of the drawing the some references are employed to indicate similar parts.

In carrying the invention into efiect according to one convenient mode (see Figure 1), the connector i is made with a cavity or bore 2 or in tubular form of steel or other suitable metal or alloy and has somewhat the appearance or outline of an elongated bullet. The forward end of the interior of the bore is screwthreaded at 3 to receive a detachable armour piercing noses which closes the end of the bore. The rear of the nose has a slot (id or other manipulating hold for a screw-driver or the like tool which may be inserted through the bore of the connector when it is desired to unscrew the nose for the establishment of communication between the interior and exterior of the connector after it has pierced the shell 5 of a submarine or the like, in which the connector is seen embedded. From front to rear the exterior diameter of the projectile may progressively slightly increase so that there is a small taper and at the rear a portion which may be shouldered is externally screwthreaded, as at 5, for the attachment of a hose coupling or other connection. Instead of having a plain external taper the connector may have the external thread 5 continued forwardly as seen in Figure 4 for making a positive engagement with the plate through which it is fired.

The rear of the connector is provided with a plug as exemplified in the forms illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, into which is screwed or otherwise secured a rod lb for attaching the connector to a steel piston member which receives the force of the explosion of the firing apparatus.

This attaching rod is of a rupturable character,

' and permit the discharge of the projectile-connector after the manner explained in the United States patent specifications referred to above with reference to a bolt-like projectile.

Instead of having a plug screwed into the rear ,end of the connector, the rupturable rod may be driven into the end of the bore which in this case is unscrewthreaded. Where the projectile piston is arrested in the gun after firing the connector proceeds leaving behind the end of the rupture rod which is withdrawn from. the bore, leaving it open as seen in Figure 1.

According to a modification (see Figure 2) instead of the armour piercing nose 4 being screwthreaded into the forward end of the connector it may have a plain plug 4b which is driven into the-front end of the bore 2 and held in position by friction. When the connectoli body after piercing the shell is arrested, the momentum of the nose causes it to continue its forward travel and to part company with the connector and leave the end thereof'open. If when the body is arrested the nose fails to move out of position, it may be drifted out by a punch or tool passed through the bore of the body. In this form of projectile-connector, the rear end is provided v opened up the forward end of the connector bore. 1

According to another modification, instead of having a loose armour piercing nose the tubular body may be formed with an integral nose 40, that is to say the forward end of the connector may be shaped and hardened for armour piercing purposes. In this case the tubular bore terminates in a dead end 4d and adjacent the forward end of the tubular cavity a-series of perforations 2a are formed in the wall so that free communication is established between the interior and exterior of the connector. As in the last described form, it is necessary to have a rear sealing means and this may be provided in the same way as that already described so that the, interior of the connector remains closed at its rear until desired, although at the forward end the perforations have already established an open way for the passage of air or liquid.

In operation, it will be understood that where a connector is used with a detachable armour piercing nose, after the body has been fired into the shell which it is intended to pierce, and assuming the plug,- such as 1, to have been removed, the nose is either unscrewed or drifted out if it has not left its position owing to its own momentum. When the throughway has been completed a hose or other connection is made to the screwthread rear of the connector, and air or liquid may be pumped through the connector for use as required or to produce the effect desired according to the predetermined plan. In a similar way the third form (Figure 3) of the invention described above may be employed but in this case the operator will be aware that as soon as the body has penetrated the shell, there is a free communication between the forward end of the connector bore and the interior of the submerged vessel, so that all he has to do in this instance is to remove the rear sealing plug I and attach the hose or other connection.

A series of connectors may each be coupled to a single hose line or any number may be coupled together by means of flexible branches leading to a common supply distributor or header coupled with a main supply line.

The supply lines may be provided with manual or automatic valve controls. Valves may also be supplied in lines where the flow is in the reverse direction, i. e., from the submerged vessel, for.

example, where the connectors are used as pressure relieving devices, automatic relief valves may be provided on the lines or on supplementary short lengths where the connectors are used for relief purposes only.

Should it be desired to carry a supply of air or liquid from the forward end of the connector to some other locality in the submarine or for convenience in utilising the air or liquid passed through the connector, a hose connection may be made to the inward end of the connector. Such connection may be a screwthreaded coupling which may be screwed into the plug cavity 3 or a rubber or other'hose connection may be fitted to the exterior of the forward end of the connector.

In carrying the invention into effect according to a further modification (Figures 4 and 5) for the purpose of providing a connector suitable for passing an electric cable either to supply electric current for power, telephone .or lighting use in the submarine or for enabling an emergency light source to be passed into the submarine, the connector I .is provided with a rear plug similar to plug 1 (but not shown in position inFig. 4) screwed into the thread in and with a detachable armour piercing nose which may be held in position by a screwthread in the manner vshown in Figure 1 or by friction as shown in Figure 2, and an external screwthread is formed on the rear of the connector for the purpose of enabling a sealing connection for the electric cable to be attached. This screwthread 6 may be extended forwardly as at 6b so that it covers the portion of the body of the connector which is intended to pass through the plate 5 so that the engagement between the plate and the connector is a posi tive one. Alternatively, the exterior of the connector body may be smooth as in the examples shown in Figules'l, 2 and 3.

The electric cable, which is shown at I (Figure 4) may be twin insulated cable or it may carry a single wire, in which case the circuit is completed by employing a pair of connectors through each of which is passed a single wire insulated cable. The free end of the cable is preferably sealed by wax, bitumen or the like, and a longitudinally slidable sealing cap 9 is provided on the cable forengaging the rear end of the screwthread 6, a rubber gasket or' washer 9a being provided to form a sealing joint with the rear end of the connector and around the insulation of the cable. The rear end of the bore 2 may have a screwthreaded plug to which the rupturable rod is connected.

In operation, after the connector has been driventhrough the shell, the rear plug is unscrewed as in the other cases and the screw threaded nose is unscrewed. Where a friction nose is employed, the rear plug is unscrewed and seeders if the friction nose has not hecoroe detached by its own momentum, it is drifted out. The cable d is then pushed through the bore 2, enough cable being paid out for the purpose in view, and the sealing cap 9 is slid back on the cable a corresponding amount. when the right amount of cable has been fed through the bore the cap 9 is screwed into position, making a watertight joint wainst the cable and against the or the connector.

In the fragmentary view shown in Figure a connector 5 oi the character described in con-1 nection with Figure and operated in the same manner is shown as in use for passing an electric cable 8 having on its end an elongated incandescent electric lamp do. In this case the end of the cable with the lamp upon it is pushed through the here 2 and enough cable is fed through the bore so that the lamp may be used by the crew oz? the submarine, after which a cap, such as Q, is screwed into position.

I claim:

l. A bolt-like projectile connector of the kind indicated intended to be driven into a resistant shell so that the forward part of the connector passes through the shell while the rearward part remains on the near side of said shell, comprising a cavitied body the cavity of which is adapted to afford a path of communication between one side 52. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein sa d cavitied body has a detachable armour piercing nose which is also formed to provide said sealing means at the forward end of said cavitied body.

3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cavitied body has a detachable armour piercing nose screwed into position and has means whereby a tool applied through the'cavitied body may he engaged with said means for unscrewing said nose, the arrangement being such that the said screwthreadcd nose is also adapted to serve when in position as said removable sealing means at the forward end of said cavitied hody.

d. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cavitied body has said armour piercing nose tightly fitted into the forward end of the cavity of said body and held in position by friction such that after the piercing of said shell it leaves said body due to its momentum on arrest of the said body in said shell or may be drifted out by a tool applied through said cavity so that said tightly fitting nose operates as said removable sealing means for the forward end of said cavitied leody.

5. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said armour piercing nose is integral with said body'and the forward end of said body adjacent said nose is formed with perforations establishing communication between the forward end ofsaid cavity and one side of said penetrated shell and wherein said removable sealing means is applied to the rear end of said cavitied body.

6. A connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said removable sealing means is in the form of a p as fitting into the cavity at the rear end of said Y. 7. A connector as claimed in claim. 1 wherein the rear of the cavitied body has an internal screwthread and said removable sealing means comprises an externally screwthreaded plug encasing said internal thread.

PERCY COX. 

